Reach develops online platform to match volunteers to charities

Reach Volunteering is working on an online platform that it hopes will be able to increase the number of volunteers signed up to its matching scheme. The move follows a restructuring of the organisation’s operations in a bid to lower its costs by around 40%.

iReach is expected to launch in 2014 and is hoping to reach its target of matching 10,000 volunteers to charities within three years of running. The site will allow charities and volunteers to compare each other, as well as providing templates and best practice guides.

Janet Thorne, chief executive of Reach, commented: “Like many charities, we had challenges during 2012 and embarked on a significant restructure which reduced our costs by 40 per cent without affecting our frontline services. We are now a leaner, more focused organisation and are flourishing with robust long-term future funding in place.”